This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques can be used for direct visualization of articular cartilage and assessment of cartilage injury and loss. Although MRI is accurate for the detection of morphologic defects of cartilage, it is insensitive to the earliest stages of macromolecular degradation that is detected as softening at arthroscopy. The T1[unreadable] MRI technique has proven to be sensitive to macromolecular degradation in cartilage. T1[unreadable], the spin lattice relaxation in the rotating frame, serves as a marker for biochemical changes in cartilage degeneration during osteoarthritis (OA). In the current study, we measure T1[unreadable] relaxation times in articular cartilage as function of age in asymptomatic subjects to determine any trends.